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The X-Files
See also The X-Files (books) and The X Files Movie The X-Files was a popular American television series created by Chris Carter. It ran for nine seasons, from 1993 to 2002, spawning a feature film in 1998, with first-run episodes airing on the FOX network. It was a critical and commercial success, due in part to its stars, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. Duchovny played Fox Mulder and Anderson played Dana Scully, two FBI agents tasked with investigating paranormal phenomena. With plots spanning alien conspiracy theories and high-level governmental cover-ups, the show mimicked episodic elements found in earlier shows such as The Outer Limits, The Twilight Zone, and the cult show Twin Peaks, in which Duchovny had appeared as a cross-dressing DEA agent. The series became a surprise run-away success, with a devoted following. Fans of show became known as "X-Philes" or "eXcers". The term "X-Philes" was coined by Matt Grommes on an early Fidonet X-Files message board. The series popularized the catch-phrases "Trust No One," "The Truth Is Out There," and "I Want to Believe" and fostered a substantial fan following. Fans commonly divide X-Files stories into "Mytharc" ("mythology") episodes, which concerned the ongoing tale of an impending alien invasion, and stand-alone "Monster-of-the-Week" episodes, which dealt with strange, other-worldly creatures and situations relating to the paranormal. The series was also known for its occasionally humorous episodes of this variety. Several installments also explored the relationship between Mulder and Scully. A separate fan base evolved, referred to as "shippers" (relationshippers), which chronicled and relished the sexual tension between Mulder and Scully; the term subsequently entered the fan lexicon, as "shipping". One pivotal shipper episode was "Triangle" (6x03), in which Mulder and Scully shared their first on-camera kiss - on a ship, in fact - although the episode did not actually take place in reality. The X-Files was declared by TV Guide to be one of the greatest television shows of all time, and the second greatest cult TV show of all time, behind Star Trek. Chris Carter used The X-Files as a springboard for one spin-off show in the same universe, The Lone Gunmen, one show that eventually crossed over with "The X-Files", Millennium, and the apparently unrelated Harsh Realm. These did not capture the public or critical attention to the same degree as The X-Files, however. Influence Chris Carter listed Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, and Kolchak: The Night Stalker as his major influences for the show. Actor Darren McGavin who played Carl Kolchak in Kolchak: The Night Stalker appeared in two episodes of The X-Files as Agent Arthur Dales, a character who is described as the "father of the X-Files." The X-Files inspired numerous other TV series, including Strange World, Burning Zone, Special Unit 2, Mysterious Ways, Carnivàle, Dark Skies, and The 4400, none of which enjoyed the same popularity or following that The X-Files achieved. Fox also screened a companion series based upon The X-Files entitled Millennium, also produced by Chris Carter. The storylines of Millennium and The X-Files occasionally crossed over, with Scully and Mulder making cameo appearances - albeit on an overhead television - in at least one episode of Millennium. Frank Black, the protagonist of Millennium, eventually appeared in The X-Files to tie up loose ends after Millennium was abruptly cancelled. Emmys Over the course of its nine seasons, The X-Files won two acting Emmy awards, one writing award, and several technical awards. Acting In 1996, Peter Boyle won the Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of the title character in the third-season episode "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose". In 1997, Gillian Anderson won the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series award for her portrayal of Agent Dana Scully. Writing In 1996, Darin Morgan won the Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing for a Drama Series for his episode "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose". "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" was one of four highly-acclaimed episodes Morgan wrote during his short time on the show's writing staff. Technical Throughout its run, The X-Files won the following awards in various technical categories: *1994 Outstanding Individual Achievement in Graphic Design and Title Sequences *1996 Outstanding Individual Achievement in Cinematography for a Series *1996 Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Editing for a Series *1996 Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Drama Series *1997 Outstanding Art Direction for a Series *1997 Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series *1998 Outstanding Art Direction for a Series *1998 Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing for a Series *1999 Outstanding Makeup for a Series *2000 Outstanding Makeup for a Series *2000 Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Series *2000 Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series *2001 Outstanding Makeup for a Series ''The X-Files: Fight the Future'' In 1998 the series produced a motion picture, The X-Files: Fight the Future. It was intended as a continuation of the season five finale, "The End" (5x20), but was also meant to stand on its own. The film was a commercial success. However, it attracted generally muted reviews from many major critics and, although the worldwide popularity of the show helped the movie's intake, the domestic box office was substantially less than what the studio had spent on producing and promoting the film. The movie, like much of what followed it on the series, remains a point of contention among fans - some of whom appreciate its place in the narrative, others deploring it for being the beginning of an unwieldy narrative structure which continued throughout the series. The movie's opening sequence featured a bomb attack on a Federal office building in Dallas. Several media commentators noted parallels between this and the real-life 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing. http://www.thedailypage.com/going-out/movies/reviews/movieReview.php?intReviewID=65 http://www.thespinningimage.co.uk/cultfilms/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=365 Change Over the course of the final few seasons, the show underwent several changes by way of both character growth and plot direction, in addition to a steady ratings decline. One of the central mythologies of the show, Mulder's search for his sister, would finally be resolved, as well as a few turns of events involving the ever-deepening bond between Mulder and Scully and the dynamic between the two characters. Whether they "should" or "shouldn't" consummate their relationship was the subject of great debate among the fan community for many years, and is still subject to scrutiny, since even after numerous hints, Carter refuses to confirm whether the two characters ever had sex. Even after the show's cancellation it retains a fan following. It can be said, however, that The X-Files had two audiences - one composed of early fans, some of whom lost interest halfway through the series, and a new, enthusiastic fanbase who were enamoured of the show's mainstream popularity. The Lone Gunmen, a trio of nerdish government watchdogs who occasionally assisted Mulder and Scully, had their own short-lived TV series. Its cancellation left its storyline unresolved, but all the characters from the series returned in the X-Files episode "Jump the Shark" (9x15) (definition of term "jump the shark"), which served as a final Lone Gunmen episode. The trio also made a short appearance, as ghosts or memories appearing to Mulder, in The X-Files' final episode, "The Truth" (9x19 & 9x20). Duchovny leaves Hoping to capitalize on his small-screen popularity and make more movies, David Duchovny ceased to be a regular on The X-Files after the seventh season. His leaving made for some interesting plot twists. The Season 7 finale found Mulder abducted by aliens and Scully pregnant. At the very end of the Season 8 finale, Scully asks Mulder how this could have happened, and he responds by referring to "the truth we both know" and proceeds to kiss her. (What is unclear is whether she is referring to her supposed infertility or the possibility that she had not been with a man recently the proceeding kiss makes things a little less vague) Having supposedly been rendered infertile during her abduction in Season 2, a fact first revealed during "Memento Mori" (4x14) in Season 4, this was indeed a shock to both Scully and the show's fan base. As far as the paternity of the child was concerned, there were scattered hints that Mulder could be the father. One of the biggest hints came in the Season 9 episode "Trust No 1." In this episode, a government agent who had been spying on Scully known as the "Shadow Man" tells Scully that: "I know your blood type, resting heart rate and your childhood fear of clowns. I know the name of your college boyfriend, your true hair color, your ATM PIN number, favorite charity and pet peeves. I know you spend too much time alone, and I know one lonely night you invited Mulder into your bed. (cut to Scully) I was as surprised as you are." The fact that Scully doesn't vehemently deny this statement (as would be in her personality to do so) lends credence to his claim. In the series finale "The Truth," Mulder also refers to William as "my son" when questioned by a military officer and "our son" when speaking to Scully. Season 8 and beyond Duchovny returned for brief stints in seasons eight and nine. In season eight, Mulder reappeared as a corpse, was buried for several months (of the story's time frame), and then later revived. With both Duchovny and Anderson's involvement reduced, the show introduced two new X-Files agents, John Doggett and Monica Reyes (played by Robert Patrick and Annabeth Gish). It was Chris Carter's belief that the series could continue for another ten years with new leads. This was not to be the case, however, as Doggett and Reyes did not provide the ratings boost Chris Carter had hoped. The show completed its ninth and final season with the two-hour episode "The Truth", which first aired on May 19, 2002. The show ceased production at the end of the ninth season—on a cliffhanger, though Carter knew that this would be the final episode. Plans for another movie are announced periodically but have yet to come to fruition. While all Carter, Duchovny and Anderson have expressed their desire for involvement, there is still no script and no official shooting schedule. The earliest possible release for the film would be September 2006. It is widely believed that a second X-Files movie would be a standalone adventure, leaving some question as to how (or if) the mythology-based series finale cliffhanger will be resolved. Trivia *The number 42 occurs frequently (Mulder lives in Apartment 42, Mulder has seen Plan 9 From Outer Space 42 times, etc.). This is The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything in Douglas Adams' novels The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. *The season eight episode "Alone" has artifacts from previous episodes; in Scully's desk drawer are Queequeg's dog tag (from the episode "Quagmire"), the keychain Mulder gave her (from "Tempus Fugit") and the fused coins (from "Dreamland"). Also appearing in this episode is the character of Agent Leyla Harrison, named for an actual person. Leyla Harrison was an "X-Files" fan and a writer of fanfic who died in February 2001. Well-known and well-loved among The X-Files internet community, writers on the show created the character (a self-professed admirer of Mulder and Scully) to honor her memory. *When "Requiem" (the season seven finale) completed shooting, the producers were unsure if they would come back for an eighth season. *Many episodes feature a "mirror shot" usually involving a medicine cabinet. Such a shot shows a character opening a medicine cabinet with a mirror on the front, taking something out, closing the cabinet, and revealing something in the mirror. "Deep Throat," "Underneath," and "Paper Clip" are episodes featuring such a shot. *The Maya calendar predicts that current era of the world will end on December 22, 2012 ("The Truth") *You can identify episodes directed by Kim Manners; he frames the camera so as to show the face, but not the top of the head. *On Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, George Huang's FBI badge number is 2317616, as shown in the SVU episode "Charisma." Scully's badge number is identical, as told in the X-Files episode "Christmas Carol." Both were revealed while asking that a phone call be traced. In addition, B.D. Wong, who plays George Huang on SVU, had a guest appearance on The X-Files in the episode "Hell Money." *The eerie, yet catchy theme song is by Mark Snow. It was released with other songs from and inspired by the show on the 1996 soundtrack Songs in the Key of X. *As has become commonplace with dramatic TV series in recent years, actual episode titles were never displayed on screen. This was one of the first TV series whose fans disseminated information such as episode titles strictly via the Internet. *The controversial and violent episode "Home", which featured a story about a family that has been inbred to almost proto-human levels of development, was kept out of syndication for three years after its initial airing. *The town known as Gibsonton in the circus freak centric episode Humbug is a real town that really is populated with former circus performers. *The episode Bad Blood contains a number of clever references and homages to classic vampire and horror films, one of the most memorable yet subtle being the name of the town the episode takes place in. Known as Chaney, Texas, the name is most likely a reference to famous 1940's monster movie actor Lon Chaney. Whether it is Lon Chaney Sr. or Jr. is unclear, but both father and son were known for their parts in classic monster movies. *Creator Chris Carter's birthday is October 13, thus the frequent references to the number 1013 on the show and the reason Fox Mulder's birthday is also October 13. It is also the name of Carter's production company, Ten Thirteen Productions. *Chris Carter is obsessed with eating sunflower seeds, hence Mulder's appetite for them on the show. However, David Duchovny hates it. *Scully was named after sportscaster Vin Scully. *Scully's telephone number is 555-3564 and (202) 555-6431 (at home). Mulder's number is 555-0199. *Mulder's address is #42, 2630 Hegal Place, Alexandria, VA 23242. *The number of Scully's files (stolen by Duane Barry) is 73317. *Mulder has been shot 3 times (once in "Anasazi," once in "Beyond the Sea", and once in the film). Scully has been shot only 2 times (in "Young At Heart" and "Tithonus"). *Mulder used his gun 16 times, Scully 13 times. *While Mulder believes in extraterrestrial life, and Scully doesn't, the opposite is true of David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson (i.e. Duchovny doesn't believe in ETs, and Anderson does). *The season 5 episode Unusual Suspects, which tells the origin of the Lone Gunmen, features a cameo by Detective Munch, from the popular crime drama Homicide:Life on the Street Taglines The phrase "The Truth is Out There" is usually shown on screen at the end of the opening credits sequence. However, over the course of the series, this phrase would occasionally be replaced with something else. *Trust No One - "The Erlenmeyer Flask" *Deny Everything - "Ascension" *'éí 'aaníígÓÓ 'áhoot'é' - "Anasazi" ("The truth is far from here" in Navajo) *Apology is Policy - "731" *Everything Dies - "Herrenvolk" ("Master race" in German) *Deceive Inveigle Obfuscate - "Teliko" *E pur si muove - "Terma" ("And still it moves" in Italian) *Believe the Lie - "Gethsemane" *All Lies Lead to the Truth - "Redux" *Resist or Serve - "The Red and the Black" *The End - "The End" *Die Wahrheit ist irgendwo da draußen - "Triangle" ("The truth is out there somewhere" in German) *In the Big Inning - "The Unnatural" *Amor Fati - "Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati" ("Love of fate" in Latin) *Believe to Understand - "Closure" *Nothing Important Happened Today - "Nothing Important Happened Today II" *erehT tuO si hturT ehT - "4D" *They're Watching - "Trust No One" *Dio t'ama - "Improbable" ("God loves you" in Italian) *I want to believe Main cast Format: Actor's real name - Character name (Years on show) *David Duchovny - Agent Fox William Mulder (1993–2001, 2002) *Gillian Anderson - Agent Dana Katherine Scully (1993–2002) *Mitch Pileggi - Assistant Director Walter S. Skinner (1994–2002) - Pileggi was credited as 'Also Starring' until the final season when he was added to the main credits. *William B. Davis - C.G.B. Spender, The Cigarette Smoking Man (1993–2000, 2002) - Davis was credited as 'Also Starring' from season 3 through to season 7 *Nicholas Lea - Alex Krycek (1994–1996, 1998–2002) - Lea was credited as 'Also Starring' from season 5 *Chris Owens - Jeffrey Spender (1998–1999, 2002) - Owens was credited as 'Also Starring' '' He also guest starred as the Young Cigarette Smoking Man in 1996 and 1997, and played The Great Mutato in the 1997 episode 'The Post-Modern Prometheus' '' *James Pickens, Jr. - Assistant/Deputy Director Alvin Kersh (1998–2002) - Pickens was credited as 'Also Starring' during the final season. *Robert Patrick - John Doggett (2000–2002) *Annabeth Gish - Monica Reyes (2001–2002) - Gish was credited as 'Also Starring' in season 8, before being added to the credits Regular guest cast *Charles Cioffi - Section Chief Scott Blevins (1993, 1997) *Jerry Hardin - Deep Throat (1993–1996, 1999) *Tom Braidwood - Melvin Frohike (1994–2002) *Dean Haglund - Richard "Ringo" Langly (1994–2002) *Bruce Harwood - John Fitzgerald Byers (1994–2002) *Don S. Davis - Bill Scully (1994) *Steven Williams - X''' (1994–1997, 2002) *Melinda McGraw - '''Melissa Scully (1994–1995, 1997) *Sheila Larken - Margaret Scully (1994–1997, 2001–2002) *Brian Thompson - Alien Bounty Hunter (1995–1996, 1998–2000) *Brendan Beiser - Agent Pendrell (1995–1997) *Rebecca Toolan - Teena Mulder (1995–1997, 1999–2000) *Peter Donat - William Mulder (1995–1996, 1999) *Floyd "Red Crow" Westerman - Albert Hosteen (1995, 1999) *Don S. Williams - The 1st Elder (1995–1999) *John Neville - The Well-Manicured Man (1995–1998) *Laurie Holden - Marita Covarrubias (a.k.a. Unablonde) (1996–2000, 2002) *Pat Skipper - Bill Scully, Jr. (1997) *Karri Turner - Tara Scully (1997) *John Finn - Michael Kritschgau (1997, 1999) *Jeff Gulka - Gibson Praise (1998, 2000, 2002) *Veronica Cartwright - Cassandra Spender (1998–1999) *Mimi Rogers - Diana Fowley (1998–1999) - Rogers was credited as 'Special Guest Star' '' *Michael McKean - '''Morris Fletcher' (1998–1999, 2002) *Adam Baldwin - Knowle Rohrer (2001–2002) *Cary Elwes - Assistant Director Brad Follmer (2001–2002) *James & Travis Riker - Baby William (2001–2002) Fan terminology * ABH - Alien Bounty Hunter (the shapeshifting alien.) * CSM - Cigarette Smoking Man * Dipper: a Shipper who thinks that Doggett is the Big One * MIM - Mulder It's Me * MoW or MOTW - Monster-of-the-week * NoRomo (no romance): a fan who doesn't want romance between Mulder and Scully. * OBSSE- The Order of the Blessed Saint Scully, The Enigmatic (a group of fans of Scully who have their own group on the Internet) * Ratboy - Alex Krycek * Shipper (relationshipper): a fan who wants Mulder and Scully to come together. * SIJ - Scully in Jeopardy * SMAK - Scully/Mulder Almost Kiss * SRE - Scully Rational Explanations * SWLD: 'S'hipper 'w'ho 'l'ikes 'D'oggett * TLG - The Lone Gunmen * UST - Unresolved Sexual Tension * WMM - Well-Manicured Man Fan faire The X-Files television series has been known to have inspired entrepreneuers Nelson Gonzalez and Alex Aguila to create a company called Alienware revolving around the X-Files theme with such references to Area 51 and the infamous MJ-12 when naming their products. They go as far as promoting the company and its products with vague references to Alien Invasion when present at industry conventions along with their own "Men In Black" as a sort of security detail for the company's CEO. It also isn't surprising that the company is bureacratic and spies on its employees through hidden cameras. See also *''The X-Files'' - Episode guide External links *The X-Files Official Site Contains information on X-Files DVD releases. *科幻网X档案专题 *BBC X-Files Site (Unofficial). The BBC's X-Files section, with information, pictures, interviews, and more. Useful resource now that the official site is mainly used to sell DVDs. *The X-Files Wiki - a wiki about "the X-Files television series, movies, books, and related spin-offs" *The X-Files compared to Quatermass *Deep Background (unofficial) Fan-maintained site, including extensive episode summaries, character and theme analysis, and background material on related subjects *The X-Files X-Files, The X-Files, The X-Files, The X-Files, The X-Files, The X-Files, The